Rotary automatic latch trip socket



July 5, 1938. J 5 BECK 2,122,602

ROTARY AUTOMATIC LATCH TRIP SOCKET Filed May 25, 1935 3 INVENTOR:

Juldua 5. Beck Patented July 5, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEApplication May 25,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to fishing tools for removing a fish, such as adrill pipe or tubing from wells, and more particularly to an automaticlatch trip socket for gripping the drill pipe or tubing on the outsidethereof and pulling the same from a well.

In the use of the conventional socket in wellfishing operations, it isnecessary to rotate the socket in order to release it from the fish.This is not possible in many operations when the socket grips the fishwith considerable force, and consequently in applying great force torotate the drill stem and socket, in order to release the socket fromthe fish the slips are often twisted out of shape and broken, and alsothe drill stem is often twisted and broken immediately above the socket,and the socket has to be left on the fish, plugging the well hole, whichmay necessitate abandonment of the well, with the resulting loss of thewell, casing and tools, or require other expensive fishing operations toremove the tools left in the well hole.

The general object of my invention is to provide an improved socket foruse in well fishing operations, which may be readily released from thefish without rotating the socket.

A more particular object is to provide a socket of the character stated,which may be readily released from the fish by jarring the drill-stemand socket slightly downwardly.

A further object is to provide a socket which may be readily releasedfrom the fish without rotating the socket when the fish is recovered.

Other objects and advantages will appear as this specificationprogresses, and the invention will be readily understood from thedisclosure herein by those skilled in the art.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawing, which forms a partof this specification, 40 and in which,

Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical longitudinalsection, of my socket, shown with its slips expanded, for slipping thesocket over the upper end of a drill pipe or tubing for enabling saidslips to grip the outside thereof.

Fig. 2 is a View like Fig. 1, except that the socket slips are showncontracted into gripping engagement with the fish.

Fig. 3 is a cross section of my socket taken on 50 line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross section of my socket taken on line 44 of Fig. 2,

Referring more particularly to the drawing in which corresponding partsare designated by the same reference characters in all the figures ofthe 1935, Serial No. 23,398

drawing, my socket includes a socket shell I; a socket head fitting 2 onthe upper end of said shell; a socket centering guide 3 on the lower endof said shell; an annular packing 4 and packing ring 5 within saidshell; slip-engaging surface 6 on the inside of said shell; slips l; aspring cage 8; a slip-and-cage spring plunger 9; and a latch Ill.

The shell l is provided with an internal thread II in its upper end forengagement with an external thread l2 on the lower end of the headfitting 2, and said head fitting is formed with an annular externalshoulder l3 at the upper end of its thread l2 for engagement with theupper edge of said shell, whereby the lower end of said head fitting istightly screw-seated in the upper end of said shell. The upper end ofthe head fitting 2 is formed with a conventional box M for engagementwith the conventional pin on the lower end of a drill stem (not shown),whereby my socket is screw-seated on the lower end of said drill stem.The head fitting 2 is formed with a plunger bore l5 extending upwardlyfrom its lower end to an upper end wall It in which bore the plunger 9is slidably fitted, and the head fitting is provided with a smaller borell extending from the bore l5 into the lower end of the box 14, in whichsmaller bore the upper end of a tube It) is screw-seated, as at l9,which tube extends downwardly through the plunger bore l5 into theplunger 9 for the circulation of water through the socket.

A coil spring 20 is positioned in the plunger bore l5, surrounding thewater-circulation tube IS, with one end of said spring bearing againstthe upper end wall N5 of the plunger bore i5 and the lower end of saidspring bearing against the upper end of the slip-and-cage plunger 9,which spring 20 urges said plunger, cage 8 and slips 1 downwardly in thesocket.

The slip-engaging surface 6 is formed on the inside of the shell l nearthe lower end of the casing and is of inverted internal conicalformation for engaging corresponding external conical surfaces 2| on theslips 7, for contracting the slips when the slips move downwardly in theshell, and for allowing the slips to expand when the shell movesdownwardly with relation to the slips.

The lower end of the shell I is provided with an internal thread 22 forengaging an external thread 23 on the upper end of the socket-centeringguide 3, and said guide is formed with an external annular shoulder 24at the lower end of its external thread 23 for engagement with the loweredge of the shell I, whereby said guide is screwseated tightly in thelower end of said shell.

The packing 4 and the packing ring 5 are positioned in the casing Ibetween an annular undercut shoulder 25, under the lower end of theslip-engaging surface 6, and the upper end 24' of the centering guide 3,the lower edge 26 of the packing ring resting against the upper edge 24of said guide; and the lower edge 2'! and upper edge 28 of the packing 4resting respectively against the upper edge 29 of said packing ring andsaid shoulder 25, whereby said packing is compressed by the screw seatedguide 3 between said packing ring and shoulder 25. The upper inner edge4' of the packing 4 is converged to a smaller diameter than theremaining internal diameter of the packing, so as to lap the drill stemor tubing closely and form a seal therebetween, under the pressure ofthe downwardly circulating fluid, in order to direct the circulation ofwater or oil through the fish to loosen the same.

The slips 1 are swivelly and detachably connected to the plunger 9, toslide upwardly or downwardly in the shell, by inturned flanges '36,formed on the upper end of upstanding slip shanks 3!, and an annularexternal groove 32, in the lower end of said plunger, into which grooveextend said slip-shank flanges .30, so that the slips may be slidablymoved outwardly for expansion thereof or inwardly for contractionthereof, and may turn relatively to said plunger. The slips I are formedwith internal wickers 33.

The cage 8 comprises a band ring 34 and a plurality ofvertically-disposed inwardly-bowed fiat springs 35, secured at theirlower ends to the inside of said band ring and at their upper ends tothe inner side of an annular skirt 36 depending from the lower end ofthe plunger 9, said hand ring and said skirt being located inside of theslip shanks 3|.

The latch I0 comprises a vertically-disposed latch trigger 31, pivotedat its lower end, at 38, to the lower end of the head fitting 2, in aslot 39 therein, and an external undercut screw-thread 4!) formed on theupper portion of the plunger 9, which thread is engaged by the upperengaging end 4| of said trigger, there being a leaf spring 42 secured tosaid trigger and pressing against the shell 1 for yieldably holding saidend of said trigger in engagement with said screw thread.

The operation, uses and advantages of my invention are as follows:

The .upper end of my socket being connected to the lower end of a drillstem by means of a pin-and-box joint, of which the box I4 forms onemember, the plunger 9, cage '8 and slips 1, being in their uppermostposition against the tension of the plunger spring 20 bearingupon theplunger 9, and held in such position by the engagement of .the trigger31 with the lowermost shoulder of the thread '40, and the slips beingexpanded with the conical slip surfaces 2| riding the upper "portion ofthe conical shell surface 6, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, mysocket is lowered in a well hole over the upper end of a drill pipe ortubing 43, the inwardly-beveled lower curved edge of the socket guide '3engaging the upper edge of said drill pipe or tubing and guiding theupper end thereof into the socket through its lower end, until the upperend of the drill pipe or tubing contacts the lower end of the plunger 9and is positioned within the cage 8,

with the cage flat springs 35 frictionally engaging the outside of saiddrill pipe or tubing and holding the slips against rotation, as shown inFig. 1 of the drawing. The drill stem is then rotated, which rotates thehead fitting 2, trigger 31, shell I and guide 3, while the cage 8,plunger 9 and slips 1 are held against rotation by the engagement of thecage springs 35 with the outside of the drill pipe or tubing, duringwhich operation the upper end of the trigger 31, engaging the latchthread 40 and following said thread upwardly allows the spring 20 toexpand and force the plunger 9, cage 8 and slips ldo'wnwardly within theshell l,"whereupon the engagement of the slip conical surfaces 2|, underthe influence of said spring 20, with the conical slip engagingsurface-B ot the shell I, forces the slips 1 inwardly or contracts theslips into gripping engagement, with the outside of the drill pipe ortubing as shown in Fig. 2 with such force that my socket cannot bepulled off said drill pipe or tubing while so gripped by my socket. Thedrill stem is then pulled upwardly, and if the casing is not held in thewell hole with too great resistance to the power applied to the drillstem, the drill pipe or tubing will be pulled out of the well hole by mysocket. If the drill pipe or tubing is held in the well hole with suchresistance that it cannot be pulled by my socket'by the power appliedto. the drill stem, a slight downward jar is applied to the drillstem,whereupon the latch trigger 3i escapes the latch thread 49 downwardly,while the slipengaging surface 6, of the shell I, moves away from theslip-coacting surfaces 2i and allows the slips 1 .to expand out ofgripping engagement with the drill pipe or tubing, thus releasing thesocket from the drill pipe or tubing, in which released position theslips are held by the engagement of the latch trigger 31 with thelowermost shoulder of the latch thread 40, as shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawing. My socket may then be pulled off the drill pipe or tubing andout of the well hole, so that another fishing operation may be performedto recover the fishfi When a drill pipe or tubing or a section thereofis recovered by my socket, my socket may be readily released therefromby giving the socket a slight downward jar, so that the latch trigger3!- will escape the latch thread 40 and allow the shell I and itslatch-engaging surface 6 to move downward with relation to theslip-coacting surfaces 2 l, whereupon the slips 7 will expand out ofgripping engagement with the drill pipe or tubing.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a socket as disclosed, a socket shell, a spring cage rotatably andslidably mounted in said shell for frictionally engaging the drill pipeor tubing, slips mounted in saidshell to be contracted into grippingcontact with the drill pipe or tubing when the cage is moved in onedirection with relation to said shell, and to be expanded, to releasethe drill pipe or tubing when the shell is moved in said direction withrelation to said cage, andmeans for moving the cage in one directionwith relation to the shell upon rotation of said shell for enabling theslips to be contracted to grip the drill pipe or tubing, and forenabling the shell to be moved in said direction with relation to thecage without rotating the shell, for expanding the slips to releasefreely the drill pipe or tubing so that the socket may be lifted freelyoff said drill pipe.

2. In a socket as disclosed, a socket shell, a head member on the upperend of said shelLa plunger slidably and turnably mounted in said headmember, a plunger spring in said head member, bearing at one end againstthe upper end Wall of said head member and at its other end against theupper end of said plunger, a spring cage mounted on said plunger forfrictionally engaging a drill pipe or tubing, slips mounted on saidplunger to be contracted or expanded, interengaging inclined surfaces onsaid slips and said shell respectively to cause contraction andexpansion of said slips when said shell is moved in one direction or theother with relation to said slips, and means for enabling said plungerand said slips to move downwardly with relation to said head and shellunder the influence of said plunger spring, when said head is rotated,to cause said interengaging inclined surfaces to contract said slipsinto gripping engagement with said drill pipe or tubing, and forenabling said plunger and said slips to move upwardly with relation tosaid head and shell, against the tension of said plunger spring, withoutrotating said head and shell, to cause relative movement of saidinterengaging inclined surfaces to allow said slips to expand andrelease said drill pipe or tubing and to lock automatically said plungerand said slips against direct downward movement relative to said headand shell, with said slips released from said drill pipe or casing.

3. In a socket as disclosed, a socket shell, a head member on the upperend of said shell, a

plunger slidably and turnably mounted in said head member, a plungerspring in said head member, bearing at one end against the upper endwall of said head member and at its other end against the upper end ofsaid plunger, a spring cage mounted on said plunger for frictionallyengaging a drill pipe or tubing, slips mounted on said plunger to becontracted or expanded, interengaging inclined surfaces on said slipsand said shell respectively to cause contraction and expansion of saidslips when said shell is moved in one direction or the other with relation to said slips, and a latch comprising a screwthread on said plungerand a latch-trigger in said head, said trigger being constructed andarranged to engage said thread, when said head is rotated, for allowingsaid plunger and said slips to move downwardly, under the influence ofsaid plunger spring, to cause said interengaging inclined surfaces tocontract said slips into gripping engagement with the drill stem ortubing, and said trigger being constructed and arranged to escape saidthread, to enable said plunger and slips to move upwardly, with relationto said head and shell, against the tension of said plunger spring,without rotating said head, to cause relative movement of saidinterengaging inclined surfaces, to allow said slips to expand andrelease said drill pipe or tubing.

JULIUS S. BECK.

